Inside Politics

UPDATED - NDP MP demands full cost of government's Super Bowl ad blitz

by Kady O'Malley Posted: February 5, 2013 1:50 PM Last Updated: February 5, 2013 1:51 PM
Perhaps inspired by the latest revelations on the "ballooning" of economy-centric advertising, New Democrat MP Mathieu Ravignat wants to know exactly how many taxpayer dollars were spent to trumpet the government's much-self-touted Economic Action! Plan during Sunday's record-shattering Super Bowl broadcast. 

From today's Notice Paper: 


Q-1160 -- February 4, 2013 -- Mr. Ravignat (Pontiac) -- With regards to advertising by the Government of Canada during the broadcast of Super Bowl XLVII on February 3, 2013: (a) what was the total cost for advertising; and (b) what was the cost for each advertisement shown?

Check back in 45 days for the response! 

UPDATE: It appears M. Ravignat may want to prepare to be disappointed. 

In response to a similar written question submitted by Liberal MP Sean Casey last year, the government refused to release "negotiated media costs," on the grounds that such rates are the result of negotiations "conducted by a team of experts" at agency of record Cossette Media. 

As such, the response averred, those costs  "are not public domain, nor are they readily available upon request" from either the agency or any other source, including Public Works and Government Services Canada, which manages the contracts. 




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